Republican senators vote to override Evers' 400-year school funding veto, but the Assembly has yet to act

MADISON — Senate Republicans on Thursday voted to override Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' budget move to provide $325 per student in public school funding increases for the next four centuries, though the boost enacted through the governor's veto pen stays in place for now.

Evers, in a statement, called Republicans' override push "B.S."

"To think that Republicans want to take over $300 per student every year for the foreseeable future away from kids, classrooms, and schools with the work we have to do to keep class sizes small, improve outcomes in reading and literacy, and educate our future workforce, this doesn’t just defy logic — it’s reckless and wrong," Evers said.

All 22 Republicans voted to overturn the vetoes and all 11 Democrats voted to keep the increases. A two-thirds majority is needed in each chamber to override a governor's veto, and Assembly lawmakers were not scheduled to take up the items Thursday.

Republicans are two votes short of a two-thirds supermajority in the Assembly, meaning two or more Democrats would have to be absent or vote in support of overturning the increases. Successful veto overrides are rare in Wisconsin.

Senate Republicans' override attempt also targeted tax cuts Evers vetoed in the state budget. Evers has also said he would veto Republicans' current $2.9 billion tax cut plan targeted at the middle class and retirees, which the Assembly passed earlier this week.

Republicans also voted to override a bill that would prevent local governments from banning certain energy sources provided to utilities. Evers said in his veto message he opposed taking away local control and preventing attempts to transition away from fossil fuels.

The Assembly would also have to override those vetoes for the measures to go into effect.

More: Can a governor's veto be overridden in Wisconsin? Does it happen often?

School district administrators worried increases wouldn't be enough

The state budget enacted this summer raises the state-imposed limits on what school districts are allowed to collect by $325 per student per year, until 2425. Evers used his veto powers to remove a hyphen and a "20" from a reference to the 2024-25 school year to keep the funding mechanism in place for the foreseeable future.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, argued that Plymouth colonists were celebrating their first Thanksgiving four centuries ago and gravity had not been discovered yet.

"That's 400 years ago. And the governor is proposing increasing property taxes for the next 400 years. (It) shows how ridiculous this veto was," LeMahieu said.

School district administrators told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel they would not immediately factor the increases into their budgets, preparing for the possibility the Legislature would try to override the partial veto.

The increase does not come through state funds, but rather allows districts to raise local taxes — a step some districts are cautious to take. School officials also raised concerns the $325 per student would not keep pace with inflation.

"I haven't heard anyone that was thrilled with how the budget turned out in terms of education funding. But they do appreciate that there's some level of predictability, so they don't have to wait every two years to figure out what they're going to be getting," said Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee.

More: Can he do that? Tony Evers followed a Wisconsin tradition when he increased school aid for 402 years.

More: Gov. Evers boosted school funding for 400 years. Why some school leaders aren't impressed

Nineteen districts would be left out of the increases altogether due to a provision that prohibits them from accessing boosts to their revenue-raising authority for three years if they held a failed referendum.

A bill introduced by two Republicans to eliminate that restriction has picked up 25 cosponsors from both parties but has not yet received a hearing. Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point, an author of the proposal, predicted the Legislature would take up veto overrides in fall.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Republican senators vote to override Evers' 400-year school funding veto